Wall-socket base.



s. E. STEELE.

, WALL SOCKET BASE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1907.

907,194. Patented Dec. 22, 190

' wrr nsssas lN-VENTOR.

' SAMUEL E. STEELE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

WALL-QOQKET BASE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

Application filed August 1, 1907. Serial No. 386,678.

fthe following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to a wall socket base for holding an electric lampholding member.-

In all. wall socket, either of the key or keyless type in which there isa lamp holding member separable from an insulating" base I andsurrounded by a separate metal shell,

there is always more or less di'lliculty in connecting up to the circuitwires owing to the sti fl'ness of the latter (whicl'i should never beless thanll B. &S. gage) and to the cramped or restricted space in whichthe terminal screws are located in the form of socket no; most commonlyemployed. l urthermore, these sockets are frequently located in placesdi'llicult of access, such as on base-boards close to the floor; onfloors close to tl'icbaseboards; in corners of store windows, etc. itbecomes extremely dil'lioult and practically impossible to makenecessary connections and. assemble the various parts of the socketproperly.

The object of my invention is to provide a wall socket base having manypoints of advantage over the old style in that. in whichever directionthe wires may come they may be readily secured to the terminal blockswithout the necessity of bending the wires; one which'can be installedwithout moving the lamp socket from the base; one that can be installedin less time than any other and when current is on the wire with safetyone that cannot short circuit; one that has no exposed contacts,together with many other advantages not necessary to enumerate.

To these ends my invention comprises,

generally stated, a wall socket base provided with terminal blocks towhich the wires may be attached without bending when said wires entereither from the side oi the socket or directly at the back thereof,thereby doing away with the bending of the wires and making theconnections quickly and without diiliculty.

M y invention further comprl we a wall socket base having an extensionfrom the.

terminals adapted to cngagrend make contact with the termlnals on ll." tmp holding member, thus doing away with the necessity of the insertionof jumper wires to conduct the current between these points.

My invention further comprises a wall socket base having a dividing wallbetween the terminal blocks to prevent short circuiting.

In the accompanying drawing Figure lis a front view of my improved Wallsocket base showing the lamp holding member removed and the wiresentering the socket base from the lower side; Fig. 2 is a section on theline 2---2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. l Fig. 4-is a sectional view showing the wire entering the socket base from theroar; F5 a view oi the socket with the lamp bearing member and lampsecured. thereto, and Fig. (i is a detail in perspective oi one of theterminals.

In the drawing the numeral 2 designates the socket base which may beformed. of porcelain or other insulating material, said base beingprovided with the screw openings 3 for the insertion of the screws forsecuring the base to the wall or other support. The rear iace oi thesocket base is depressed to form the cavities 4 and 5 separated by therib or partition 6. On each'sidc of the rib 6 are the openings 7 and 8adapted to receive the circuit wires 10 and 11, where said wires arecontained within the wall 12 and enter said base from the rear. The baseis further provided with the screw openings 13 and 14-,

and being adapted to receive the screws 13 and 14" to secure theterminal blocks 15 and 16 in position within the recessed front face 17of the base. The screws 18. secure the angle pieces 18 in position, saidangle pieces having the openings 19 through which the screws 20 pass tosecure the base to the lamp holding member 21.

The terminals 15 and 16 are provided with. threaded openings 22 and 23,said openings being provided at points approximately at rightaangles toeach other, or any 'other desired angle, said openings being alihpted.to receive the screws 24-. Projecting out from the terminalslS and 16are the extensions 25 aving the bifurcated ends 26. These exh usions 25are adapted to engage the terminals 21 on the lamp holding member 21,the bifurcated ends 26 of the extensions engaging the terminal screws27. By this construction I make direct connection. between the terminalsof the wall socket base and the terminals of'the lamp said screwopenings passing through the base holding member without the employmentof any wires and so do away with the difficulty of making thisconnection by means of wires. To make this connection it is onlynecessary to insert the lamp holding member into the Wall socket base inposition so that the bifurcated ends of the extensions 25 will engagethe terminal screws 27, whereupon the screws 20 are tightened up tosecure the lamp bearing member to the socket base. Just as soon as thesescrews are tightened up a secure connection is obtained without anyfurther difficulty. A wall or partition 28 on the inner face of the baseseparates the terminals 15 and 16 so as to preventshort circuiting.

In the periphery of the base or socket 2 are formed the openings 29,said o 'iehings being adapted to receive the circuitwines '10 and 11where said wires run parallel with the wall 12, such as in the casewhere the wires are concealedby molding secured to the Wall. These wiresmay enter either from the top or bottom of the socket base, the basebeingilocatedso as to bring the openings 29 in proper position. They areshown in Figs. 1 and 2 as entering the wall socket base from below. I

In securing my improved socket in posi tion where the wires enter theperiphery of the base as shown in Figs, 1 and 2, the vall socket issecured to the wall by the screws 3 with the openings 29 at the bottomof the base. The wires running in a line parallel with the wall 12 areinserted in the openings 29 and they pass directly up without being bentand enter the openings 22 wl'ien they are secured in place by the screws24 entering openings 23. After the wires have been secured to theterminals the lamp bearing member is then inserted in the socket so asto bring the extensions 25 in position to have their bifurcated endsengage the terminal screws 27 0f the lamp ---bearing member.

This connects the terminals-15 and 16 to the terminal blocks 27 cf thetemp bearing member without the employment of any Wires and the lampbearing member is then secured to the socket by screwing up the screws20.

Where the circuit wires are inclosed in the wall 12 and enter the wallsocket base from the rear, as indicated in Fig. 4, the wires passthrough-theopenings 7 and S and enter openings 23 in thc terminals 15and .16, whereupon the screws 24 are shifted so as to enter the openings22 and so secure the wires securely in place.

From the above it is readily apparent that the wall socket may besecured in position so as to have the wires enter either from the rearor on a line parallel with the wall and be secured with equal facility,it only being necessary to change the position of the terminalscrews.24. This provision for the entering-and securing of the Wires in thismanner obviates the necessity of bending the wires, which is a difficultmatter where wire of the proper gage is employed and especially inpositions where in cram ed or inaccessible places-it is difficult to mae the necessary connections. Furthermore, by the simple insertion of thelamp bearing member the connections are made between the terminals ofthe socket base and the terminals of said member, whereby the connectingof the said terminals by means of wires is obviated and the connectionmade very quickly and without loss of time.v By separating the terminalsby means of the partitions 6 and 28 short circuiting is prevented and asa consequence the efficieney oi the socket is increased.

My invention permits of the connection of a standard lamp holding memberof one or more of the standard sockets now on the market to my improvedbase and it can be readily installed without removing the socket fromthe base. The position of the key on the socket can be reversed withoutremoving the base from the wall by simply withdrawing the lamp holdinmember and turning it so as to bring the key aroun to the desiredposition.

"N hat I claim is:

1. A. wall socket base having recessformed therein, passages leadingfv'm the rear and sides of said base to salt.v recess, terminals in saidrecess in aliner'nent with said passages. and means for connecting upthe wires leading to' said terminals through either of said passages,whereby said wires may enter from the rear or sides as desired.

2. The combination of a wall socket base having openings at right anglesto each other for the introduction of wires, terminals having wirereceiving seats at right angles to each other, and securing ,devices insaid seats interchangeable with the Wires.

3. The combination of a wall socket base h ving openings at right anglesto each other necting up said extensions directly to the terminal blocksof the lamp holding member. 5. In a wall-socket base, the terminals, andextensions on said terminals having bifurcated ends adapted to engagethe ter minal screws of the lamp bearing member. In testimony whereof, Ithe said SAMU L E. S'JEELE have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT C. TOITEN', Rom. D. TOT'IEN.

